


Fluffy Prompts

by magequisition



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Mass Effect
Genre: Confessions of love, F/M, Farewells, Fluff, Gifts, bff bonding, la splendeur des coeurs perdus, prompts, requited longing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-04-18 18:59:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4716923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magequisition/pseuds/magequisition
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of fluffy prompts given to me on tumblr, updated as I get through them. Pairings will be in the chapter title with the prompt in the chapter summary. None are likely to become NSFW, but that may change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cullen/Trevelyan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Wait for me"

                Trevelyan picked up her last few items that needed to be brought on her trip to the Hissing Wastes and shoved them into her pack roughly. As she did, a small slip of parchment fluttered from between the folds of clothing and landed on the coverlet spread across her bed. Raising an eyebrow, she leaned over to pick it up. On it was a simple note in a careful hand that had obviously taken care to be neat when that was not the usual.

                _Wait for me? I want to see you before you leave. I’ll return as soon as inspection is over._

                She smiled and fingered the note lightly, one finger tracing the lettering, until she was startled by a knock at the door.

                “Come in,” she called. She heard the heavy wood push closed and the distinctive thunk of the lock falling into place and smiled. Heavy footfalls sounded on the stairs and she dropped the note to her bed and walked to meet him.

                “Good timing,” she said. “I just found your note.”

                Cullen chuckled and rubbed at the back of his neck, a flush rising to his face. “I hope you don’t mind. I worry when you go. I wanted to see you once more.”

                Trevelyan smiled at him and threw her arms around his neck, reaching up to kiss him lightly on the cheek. “I’ll be fine, Cullen. You know that.”

                “I know you can handle yourself, my love, but that doesn’t change the fact that I worry,” Cullen said, resting his forehead against hers, his hands coming to wrap around her waist.

                Trevelyan smiled and dipped her hand into the front of her tunic for a moment. Tugging at the leather cord that lay against her collarbone, she pulled it out. “I have this,” she said softly. “Nothing can go wrong.”

                Seeing his coin in her palm sent a wave of emotion through Cullen. “You wear it?” he asked.

                It was Trevelyan’s turn to blush. “For luck,” she murmured, his intense gaze causing her heart to beat faster. It wasn’t the first time he’d looked at her this way, not by far, but her reaction was always the same.

                Cullen bent his head and kissed her, hoping that even a fraction of the emotion he felt could be shown. Trevelyan’s hand slid from his shoulder to the back of his head, her fingers twining in his blonde curls as she returned the kiss. They broke apart a moment later, both slightly short of breath, and she rest her head against his chest.

                “I have to go,” she said. “The others will be waiting.”

                Cullen tightened his arms around her. “I wish I could come with you,” he said.

                “Wait for me,” she whispered. “I’ll be home as soon as I can. With luck I’ll be finished and on my way home within a week.”

                Cullen brushed his lips against hers once more. “Just come back to me,” he said before releasing her. Trevelyan’s hands slid down the commander’s arms before she turned to her bed to pick up her pack. Swinging it over her shoulder, she brushed her hand along Cullen’s, squeezing his fingertips so briefly it could have been his imagination as she headed towards the stairs. Looking back at him once more before leaving, she paused.

                “I love you,” she said, but it was so soft she may well have just mouthed the words. Losing his thoughts, Cullen crossed the distance between them with two large, easy steps and kissed her hard once more.

                “And I love you. I _will_ see you soon,” he said.

                Trevelyan nodded and turned away, heading down the stairs to meet with her party for the trip to the Hissing Wastes.


	2. Josephine/Blackwall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you think she saw us?"

Her fingers trailed over the petals of the flowers sitting in the vase on her desk when a knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” she called, confusion filling her voice. Being on the way to the war room, it was rare for anyone to knock before entering her office. The door opened slowly and closed just as quietly, and she looked up to see Warden Blackwall making his way across her office.

                “You got them,” he said, his voice gruff as he looked at the flowers.

                Josephine smiled, a flush of pink coming to her cheeks. “I do every week,” she said softly. “They’re lovely. Thank you.” Taking a breath to steel herself, she stood and moved from behind her desk to meet Blackwall where he’d stopped halfway across the room. As she approached him, she saw him visibly tense.

                “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have come. I know how things are.”

                Josephine reached forward to brush his hand lightly with her own. “No, I’m glad you did.” She felt her heart twist painfully. _If things were different,_ she thought. Blackwall smiled at her, a small, pained upward twist of his lips, and she knew his thoughts echoed her own. For a second, his fingers twined with hers and she lost her sense of propriety, stepping forward to fall against his chest and revelling in the feel of his arms coming around her, holding her tightly for just a moment before they both took a breath and stepped apart. Just as their fingers slipped apart, the door to her office flew open.

                “Josie! You won’t believe what I’ve just – Blackwall. Hello,” Leliana said, eyeing the warden standing very near her best friend closely. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Josie, I’ll come back in a few minutes.” She nodded before giving a knowing smirk to Josephine and a threatening glare to Blackwall, then backed out of the room.

                When the door clicked shut, Blackwall’s face sank into panic while Josie laughed.

                “Do you think she saw us?” Blackwall asked.

                “Almost undoubtedly. Leliana misses nothing,” Josephine said. She reached forward to rest a comforting hand on his forearm. “But she is my best friend. If it is safe for anyone to know how we feel, acted upon or not, Leliana is the one we can trust.”

                Blackwall nodded. “I trust your judgement,” he said. “But I think it’s best if I go. I’d, uh, like to stay on her good side.”

                Josephine smiled, trying to ignore the sinking in the pit of her stomach.  “You’re right, I’m sure.”  

                Slowly and precisely, never breaking eye contact with her, Blackwall lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a light kiss over the back of it. “Lady Montilyet,” he said formally.

                “Warden Blackwall,” she said. He released her hand and left the office. She stared at the spot where his lips had been and ran her thumb over it, certain it was warmer than the rest of her hand.


	3. Blackwall/Josephine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "It doesn't have to be that way"

                Josephine sat behind her desk, an assortment of papers and maps spread out in front of her. In theory, she was looking over some trade documents in an attempt to secure an additional source of obsidian. In reality, the papers lay half-read, her eyes only occasionally dropping away from the vase of flowers at the edge of her desk to glance at them before returning. She was about to stand up to find a cup of tea, hoping that the hot liquid would help to restore her focus, when the door to her office swung open.

                “Josie, are you alright? I’ve not seen you all day, and I know you had plans to –“ Leliana stopped suddenly when she saw the other woman’s position at her desk. Her shoulders, usually meticulously upright, were slouched slightly forward, and the eyeliner just at the corner of Josephine’s eyes was smeared. Tiny things, unnoticeable or at least unrecognizable for what they were to most, but nothing escaped Leliana’s eyes. In particular, nothing that hurt her best friend escaped them. Leliana moved quickly to the side of Josephine’s desk and knelt beside her.

                “Josephine, it doesn’t have to be like this,” she said softly, resting her hand on Josephine’s arm. Fury coursed through her and she wanted to kill Blackwall – but of course, he hadn’t actually done anything wrong. It was circumstance that was consuming Josephine, not the object of her affection.

                Josephine looked at Leliana and smiled. “It does. My family – well, it would be a disgrace, at best. I must remain busy with my work. If a suitable marriage presents itself, then I suppose I can consider it. But regardless of my feelings for Warden Blackwall –“

                “You stop that,” Leliana said, cutting her off. “You’re only speaking this way because you care so deeply. I know you, Josie.  I know you aren’t entirely a stranger to casual affairs,” she nudged the other woman lightly with her shoulder, and Josephine giggled as a blush spread over her cheeks. Leliana’s voice turned serious. “But you need to do things for yourself, occasionally. I’ve seen the way you look at him. And he hikes that mountain before dawn every week just to bring you these,” she gestured at the flowers on the desk. “That’s a rare thing, Josie. To both pull you so solidly from your work and to have that man make such an effort – that’s not a thing to be turned from.”

                “My family expects –“

                “Screw your family, Josie! If they give you a hard time I’ll end them myself!” Leliana exclaimed, her carefully measured calm breaking.

                “Leliana, no,” Josephine said, unable to tell if Leliana was joking or not. She wouldn’t put it past the woman to be entirely serious in the matter.

                Leliana sighed. “You know I wouldn’t really, Josie. Well, I would, but not if you told me not to. But the point is, you’re a grown woman. You’ve found a good man whom you love and who has the good sense to love you. This _la splendeur des coeurs perdus_ nonsense is a ridiculous concept. If it’s a matter of the Game…you know nobody is better at that than I am.” She smirked before standing up, bending over slightly to hug Josephine. “I want you to be happy. And I can see – no matter what I may think of his hygiene – that he makes you so. Love is rare, Josie,” she felt a tug in her stomach and swallowed hard, forcing herself to continue. “It’s not something you can just ignore. You’ll die trying.”

                Just then the door to Josephine’s office pushed open again and Blackwall stood in the entryway.

                “Uh, hello, Sister Leliana. Lady Montilyet. I apologize. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll return later.”

                “Not at all, Warden. I was just about to leave. I have things to attend to in the library,” Leliana said. Turning back to Josephine briefly, she added, “Think about what I said.” Pulling her hood back over her red hair, she turned to leave the rounded office, shooting a pointed look at Blackwall as she exited.

                Josephine took a deep breath. “What can I do for you, Warden Blackwall?” she asked.


	4. Cullen/Inquisitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tarantism

> Tarantism:  The urge to overcome melancholy by dancing.
> 
> * * *
> 
>  

Every footfall seemed slower and heavier as she trudged up the stairs to her quarters. She needed a bath and, preferably, to sleep for the next six years. Oh, and the imminent end of the world suddenly not being a problem would probably help, too. She let out a deep sigh as she took a large step to bypass the last couple of stairs and turned around the bannister. 

“You’re home,” Cullen said from where he sat at her desk. His expression, always stern when he worked no matter what he was working on, softened with the smile that crossed his face as he stood up. She tried to force a smile in return, but knew that nothing but a grimace came out. “Are you all right, my love?” he asked, crossing the room to her in a few quick steps and taking her into his arms. She pressed her face into the roughspun linen shirt he wore and shook her head. 

“Not really. One of those days, and now I’m home and I’ve got a list of nobles a mile long from Josephine that are all “urgently in need of a meeting” and Leliana’s angry about something and Vivienne is still talking down to me because I let Cole stay and I’m just,” she paused, “really done. I need a bath and a nap and I doubt I’ll get more than a chance to wipe my face clean.” She swallowed back the lump trying to force its way into her throat. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to complain. It’s just all so much.” 

Cullen put a finger to her chin and tilted her face up to look at him. “Darling, you’re done for the evening. Josephine can wait; the meetings won’t occur in the next day anyway. You know what the nobles are like. Look over her list in the morning. Leliana will get over it, she always does. Vivienne, well…she’s set in her ways. But Cole’s been helpful. I admit I was skeptical at first as well, but so far he’s done us no harm.” He pressed a light kiss to her forehead. “You need to rest.” He smiled at her, and the pure love in his eyes when she met his gaze caused her heart to swell. “Go,” he said. “Have your bath, and take your time. I’ll be here when you’re finished. If anyone calls for you, I’ll send them away.” 

She dropped her eyes and stepped back from him, squeezing his hand lightly as she pulled away. “Thank you,” she murmured. 

***

She returned a short time later, hair damp but no longer caked with the less-pleasant spoils of her trip to Crestwood. 

“Do you feel better, my love?” Cullen asked. 

“Cleaner, anyway,” she said. 

“That’s good, but that alone won’t do,” Cullen said. The corner of his mouth slid up in a slow smile. “Come here,” he said, extending a hand. 

“Cullen, what-” 

“May I have this dance, my lady?” he asked. 

She stared at him. “You hate dancing.” 

“But you love dancing. So for you? I love dancing.” 

She slid her hand into his and let him pull her towards him, his free hand sliding comfortably around her waist. They turned in slow circles, Cullen humming a ballad softly. A feeling of lightness fluttered in her chest, and for the first time in several days, she smiled. The world was still threatening to end, perhaps, but for the moment, there was the dance. 


	5. Shepard/Tali

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "I love you" in awe, the first time you realise it

     They’re sitting in his quarters, playing a Quarian game she’s been teaching him that he can’t remember the name of (not that he could pronounce it very well in the first place). He makes his last move, wins, finally, for the first time in approximately a thousand games, and her head falls back as she laughs.  
     He smiles, and he doesn’t know if it’s the win or her delight in his victory filling him with an intense joy that he can’t control. Maybe it’s both.

It’s definitely her.  
  
     “About time, Shepard, Quarians learn how to beat this game in primary school!” Tali laughs again and he’s speaking before he’s had the time to consider the words.  
     “I love you,” he says. It’s the truth, though he hasn’t realised it until this moment. But against all odds, against everything that’s good for them, against everything happening outside of this ship, it’s true. He feels lighter after saying it, like it had been weighing him down without his even knowing it. The confession is freeing, and he laughs.  
     Tali giggles. “Did you just realise that now?” she asks before standing up and walking around the table to sit beside him, wrapping a slim arm around his waist and hugging him. “Humans are slow sometimes.” She rests the front of her mask against his cheek. “I love you too,” she adds.


End file.
